Wutai Wanderer
by Akaikaminoke
Summary: Yuffie Kasargi and her journey toward her destiny. Eventually this will be a Yuffeno fic... I'll get to it, you'll see!! Plz, R&R this is my first fanfic ever, and I need constructive criticism and encouragement too. Thx!
1. Chapter One

Chapter One  

            The days had gotten longer during the muggy summer months; to young Yuffie Kisaragi they seemed tortuously longer.  Wutai, Yuffie's age old home, decorated with carvings of past rulers on the mountain side, and replicas of temples for ancient gods long forgotten, seemed a place lost amongst the growing and modern world.  It was a place to come and lose your worries of life, and meditate on thoughts of healing and relaxation.  Or if you were a brave man seeking power, you came to battle the gods found in her father's pagoda, The Pagoda of Trials.    However to Yuffie, it was a trap, a place to hold her captive, where her father could keep his eye on her and keep her out of trouble.  

            Yuffie hated being stuck in one place, hated having to help her father take care of the old temples.  The temples were wearing away bit-by-bit each day it seemed, constantly needing repairs or a fresh coat of paint.  Working in the summer heat was not her idea of fun.  Yuffie wanted to explore and see places, have an adventure.  But that was not going to happen anytime soon.  Her father had not been himself after the war with Shinra many years ago, but he was still strong, strong enough to represent the god Omni in the Pagoda of trials, the strongest one of all.  Also, every year there were fewer and fewer patrons to fund the temples, and Godo, her father barely made any gil, let alone having enough to allow them to travel.  

            Yuffie thought about where she would go first if her and her father could escape this tourist trap.  She had heard about a city far away, where everyone lived in metal houses, and never saw the real sky.  Or a farm where they bred gigantic birds called Chocobos.  Yuffie stopped for second and wondered just what a chocobo looked like?  Was it a giant chicken?  Or maybe a huge finch?  Oh well she thought, losing hope of ever stepping foot outside Wutai, never to see the wonders the world had to offer.

            It was finally starting to get dark outside. Yuffie had been at one of the temples organizing a desk full of scrolls and writing brushes, when she had taken a moment to look out at the blue sky.  She sighed to herself and went back to her work, she was almost done anyways and then maybe her father would allow her to go home and relax, and forget about the emptiness in her life.

             Yuffie opened a drawer in the desk and slipped some scrolls inside only to find they wouldn't fit.  She tried just shoving them in but they still wouldn't go.  After trying one more time and getting frustrated she put her hand towards the back of the drawer to see if she could feel what was jamming her work.  Her long thin fingers found something smooth, yet hard like rock.  She curled her fingers around it to find it was spherical in shape, and about the size of a small orange.  Gently pulling it out of the drawer her eyes fell upon a beautiful orb emitting a phantasmal glow of blood red, the essence inside swirling like a torrent wind over the seas.  She found herself mesmerized by its beauty, its enchantment.  She twirled it in her fingers, letting its colors catch the rays of the sunset and then bounce off the temple walls.  It was so magical, she thought, truly a rare treasure.  

            "Yuffie!"

            Yikes!  It was her father!  Yuffie suddenly realized what she was doing and tried to stash the sphere in her pocket, when suddenly it slipped through her nervous fingers and fell to the floor.  Yuffie clenched her entire body waiting for the shatter of glass and the loud crash that associated with it.  But it did not come. Instead she heard a faint ting as if a small coin had hit the floor, and to her surprise it bounced, more then once, each time making the faint ting sound until it finally rolled off into the shadows of a corner.  "Ah! There you are Yuffie." Her father had just entered the room.  He was wearing his normal temple garb, but his face looked especially tired that day. Probably from the extreme heat thought Yuffie, hurriedly regaining her composure.

            "What do you want old man?"  Yuffie snapped, a bit harsher than she wanted to, but kept her demeanor anyway.

            "I was hoping to find you finished already you lazy twerp!" He stopped and a took a deep breath and looked as if he were trying to keep himself from picking Yuffie up and tossing her across the room.  He took another breath and a bit calmer said, " I was hoping you would be so kind as to run to Turtle's Paradise for me.  I need you to buy some refreshments, we're having a guest tonight, and I wanted to show him some real Wutai hospitality."

            "Guest?" asked Yuffie.  They hadn't had a real guest in a long time, not since before her mother had passed away.  Yuffie wondered what the occasion was.  "Who is this guest?" Yuffie's curiosity was starting to peak.

            "No one in particular, just someone interested in the trials.  Now hurry up!  I don't want him to think I run a unruly household!"  Godo stomped off, with his face getting redder and redder as he went.  Yuffie watched him leave until she saw him enter the courtyard and head towards their home.  

            Yuffie breathed a sigh of relief and headed towards where the sphere had landed.   She found it in the corner and she picked it up to inspect it for damages.  As she was feeling it over for any scratches her light touch fell upon some unusual markings etched into the sphere.  The markings were very small, and she was barely able to make them out.  She moved closer to the light to get a better look.  That's when she noticed six distinct characters and she recognized the word, "MASTER".


	2. Chapter Two

          Chapter Two

            Yuffie squinted as she gazed over the orb.  MASTER?  What was MASTER?  Oh well she thought, no matter.  Surely this orb would fetch a handsome price somewhere in town, then maybe she could take that little vacation she's always dreamed of.  Yuffie carefully stashed the orb into the side pocket of her cargo shorts and headed towards Turtle's Paradise to pick up those refreshments.           

            She kept up a good pace on the way to Turtle's Paradise, sort of skipping as she walked with a little smile on her face.  She thought about all the money her new treasure could be worth and all the places she would go.  Then she remembered why she was going to Turtle's Paradise.  Her father mentioned a guest interested in the trials.  But no one had come to face the trials since before the war with Shinra.  What kind of person would be interested in that kind of power and knowledge now?  Probably some psycho out to take over the world or some nonsense like that, thought Yuffie.  It was no concern of hers, but she was concerned for her father.  He represented the god Omni in the Pagoda of Trials, the strongest, most powerful of all.  She worried, because he hadn't had a chance to represent Omni for many years, and even though he was strong, he was rusty.

            Yuffie saw a little cat scamper across the road chasing after a fly, and then leap into a large ceramic barrel with its lid off.  Silly cat, she thought, how will you get out now?  It took her mind off what she was thinking and focused her attention to the little store right behind the barrel.  That's funny, she wondered, where did that store come from?  Wutai was such a small village, she was surprised to find a place she couldn't recall seeing before.  She took a step toward it to try and see the name of the store.  She frowned; she couldn't find the name anywhere.  She took another step closer, than another.  Finally she was close enough to peer inside through a little window.  The window was dusty and made everything look blurry inside, so she wiped just a small corner of the window clean with her fingers in order to get a clear look.  She was surprised to find it was old, and dirty looking inside, and empty.  It looked as if it had been abandoned for years.  Suddenly a small spider crawled right into her vision from the other side, making her jump backwards a pace.  She gasped for a breath and then realized what it was.  She looked around to see if anyone had seen her, she felt a tad embarrassed having jumped so easily.  She noticed that the streets were empty.  In fact there was no sound at all, not even a meow from the playful cat she had encountered.  

            Yuffie looked again at the old store.  Something about it gave her a mystical feeling, a feeling similar to when she gazed upon her newfound orb.  Yuffie decided to take a little adventure inside the old store and have a look around.  She wouldn't be long, just a quick peek, and then she'd be on her way to Turtle's Paradise.  She had better hurry though, it was getting darker outside and she would need at least some light.  

            Yuffie crept towards the door, brushing away old spider webs, and weeds that had grown up all around.  She reached for the door handle, it was old and rusty, she turned the knob, and she gently pushed against the door.  It budged a few inches making a creaking sound, so she pushed a little harder and the door sprang wide open for her to enter.  Inside she saw basically what she had expected, a run down old general store with empty shelves except a few old jars, and an old cash till sitting on the counter.  She turned around and closed the door, making sure it was shut all the way.  When she heard the click of the door telling her it was closed tight, she blinked, then suddenly as if paint had fallen from the skies, the room around her encased itself with color!  The room shone with brightness of every sort.  The walls were a crystalline blue and suddenly everything was clean and there were drapes over the windows in a brilliant emerald color.  The floor had become lush with a rich thick red carpet, and the ceiling glistened yellow like the radiant sun. And all the shelves were now a delightful fuchsia in color.  

            Yuffie stood with her mouth wide open and her eyes gaping at what she was seeing.  Her hands were limp at her sides and she felt her knees begin to buckle slightly beneath her.  She took a deep breath and brought herself back to life.  She closed her mouth and then her eyes and then opened them again.  She rubbed her eyes in disbelief, she began looking around at all the display cases that shined like freshly polished diamonds, and what was inside left her speechless.  She took a step towards the display case closest to her on the right side, and bent slightly to get a better look.  Then from towards the back of the store she heard a man's voice say, " Take a look around, I'll be there shortly!"  Yuffie straightened, startled by the voice.  How did anyone know she was here?  The place was empty only a moment ago, what was going on here?


	3. Chapter Three

          Chapter Three

            Yuffie gulped and decided to just wait for the person to appear, she did not wish to be caught off guard again.  Only a few seconds went by when a man slipped through a curtain from the back of the store.  He was a short, thin man, maybe in his early sixties.  His hair was graying and his eyes wore a small pair of spectacles that rode high on his nose.  He smiled as he walked behind the counter.  He stopped just before the cash till, which was now shiny and clean.  " How may I help you? Would you like to Buy or Sell?"  Sell!  The thought came as instantly to Yuffie as the man said the word.  Surely he would know how much her little sphere was worth, after what she had just seen, she was sure he had seen far more.  

            Yuffie stepped up to the counter and asked, " I have something I wish to know the value of, and if it is worth much, I might be interested in selling it.  In fact it is much like these other items you have in your display cases, but it is different."  Yes, in fact as she looked around the store again she realized that he carried many similar orbs, only in different colors, blue, green, yellow, and a few pinkish colored ones.  However, she saw no red ones.  

            "What is it that you have my dear?" he asked, a smile still on his face, but she noticed a hint of curiosity as well.  

            "First, will you answer one question for me?" She was dying to ask, but didn't want to look like an idiot.  The clerk nodded his acceptance, and she went on, "What is this place, and what are you selling here?"  She soon realized she had asked two questions, but it did not seem to matter to the clerk.  

            His smile broadened and with his hand he waved it across the room at all his items.  "This, my dear is a Materia Shop, and here we sell only the finest in Materia Spheres.  They will help you on your journey, or they may hinder you.  It is up to you how you use them.  But if used wisely they can prove to be of the utmost value." He looked back again at her and waited for a reply.

            Yuffie was confused, she had never heard of materia, but she was also amazed, she knew now what her little treasure was, and that it could be of "utmost value".  "So... uh... what exactly is materia?  Why is it so special?"  She dared two more questions.  

            "Materia, my dear, is essence from the life of this planet.  It can be molded to aid others, and us or used to cause great harm.  A form of 'magic' if you will."  Magic?  What was this guy going on about?  Just then he reached underneath the counter and pulled out a green materia.  It looked like a small planet with its incandescent emerald glow swishing inside the orb.  "Here, I wish you to have this."  

            He handed her the green materia, and she readily took it, eager to examine it.  She felt its smoothness in her fingers, and then found its name in small letters, "Cure".  It was so beautiful.  "Thank you, but uh...what do I do with materia?  How do I unlock its magic?"

            The clerk smiled and said, "Simply concentrate on the orb, you need not even be holding it, just have it on your person. Remember, now concentrate, think about the orb, then with a strong voice, call out its name! It will then unleash its power, but alas, be warned; it will take a part of you as well.  It will take part of your inner strength.   It should get easier to use as you use it more often, but if you find it won't respond, take a break for a while, or take a nap, it feeds off you, so you have to be strong for it.  Some materia will not respond to you at all at first.  This is a sign that it is stronger than you.  If you wish to yield it, you must train your mind and body to overcome it, and then it will help you whenever you need."

            She couldn't believe her ears! It sounded so easy!  She couldn't wait to give it a try.  Without hesitation she gripped the cure materia in her hands, she closed her eyes affixing her concentration towards the orb, and in the strongest voice she could muster, she called, "CURE!" In an instant the orb brightened in its hue, and she was suddenly surrounded by glittering stars cascading around her.  She felt totally renewed, as if she had just gotten out of a cool lake, awake, and refreshed.  Refreshed? She gasped, she had totally forgotten about the refreshments from Turtle's Paradise!

            "Thanks again mister, but hey, I gotta go now, or else my dad is gonna kill me, I'll be back!" She gripped her new materia and ran out the door.  She turned to look behind her, and she saw the same old dirty building again, hiding in the weeds.  The sun had almost completely vanished now, and she was sure to reap death from her father if she didn't hurry.  

            Yuffie had always been a fast runner, and in no time flat she was in and out of Turtle's Paradise with everything she needed.  The sun had been down for about half and hour by the time she got home, and the look on her father's face was even redder than when she had last seen him.  He angrily sent her to her room in order to get cleaned up for their guest, and she grumpily obeyed.  Old codger, she thought, he didn't deserve to know what had happened to her while she was out anyway.  

            Once Yuffie got to her room, she flopped down on her bed, pushing old comic books out of the way, and picking up loose ninja stars.  She then reached into her side pocket and pulled out her new treasures.  Materia, just the name was mystical enough for Yuffie. But after what she had experienced, she found herself yearning to discover more materia.  She was very curious to know what her Master materia did, and so she promised herself that after helping her father tomorrow, she would go to the Da Chao Mountains and find out for herself.   In the meantime, she changed into her temple garb, which she had never had to wear before.  She found them to be very restricting, and too bulky.  Oh well, it was for the company, and that was another curiosity she was intent on satisfying.     


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

            Yuffie felt really awkward in her temple dress.  The last time she had had to wear one was when she was very little.  She hardly remembered it, but there was a picture of her in it on the wall in the hallway.  The picture always reminded her of her mother.  Yuffie only had fragments of her memory left, and she kept those close to her.  Her name was Miki, a short and sweet name, and it fit her well.  Yuffie had grown to look much like her mother, except Yuffie always wore her hair short, whereas her mother had had long, glistening black hair.  Yuffie sighed as she passed the picture of herself in the hallway.  This was no time to be reminiscing, the mysterious guest awaited discovery.  

            Yuffie slid open the door to the parlor room.  Immediately her eyes fell upon their guest.  His back was turned to her, so she couldn't see his face.  He was sitting on the couch sipping on a drink she had gotten from Turtle's Paradise.  He was in small conversation with Godo when she stepped into the room.  She entered the room quietly trying her best to not bring attention to herself.  "Ah! There you are Yuffie." Her father exclaimed.  So much for not being noticed, Yuffie thought, as she stopped in mid step to acknowledge her father.  

            She frowned and said, "Yeah I'm here, where did you think I went?"  She stared at her father, and tugged at the back of her dress that was irritatingly riding up her backside.  Godo frowned back, trying to hold back his displeasure in her lack of manners.  Unfortunately, that was one thing that Miki had had a horrible time trying to instill into her daughter.  

            The guest turned his head around to see Yuffie.  He was resting an arm on the back of the couch, his legs were crossed, and an unlit cigarette was resting between his lips.  Yuffie took her gaze off her father to catch a glimpse of the man.  He had perfectly almond shaped eyes, a rich brown in color.  His hair was an interesting mix of brown and red, and it was spiked in the back.  He wore a pair of sunglasses on his head, holding the length in the front back.  A few strands of hair had escaped the grip of the glasses and hung loosely in his face.  He wore a dark blue suit, but he had the jacket open revealing a white dress shirt.  It was very revealing in fact, for it was not buttoned until halfway down the shirt.  She blushed ever so slightly, seeing his reddish brown twirls of chest hair, and the definition of his pectorals.     

            "Quite a spitfire you have here Godo…  She must be difficult to handle at times."  The man spoke as he lifted a match to his cigarette, lighting it, and taking a long, smooth drag off it.  His voice contained a cool confidence, and his comment sent her temper up a notch.  She glared at him and could feel herself getting tense; her hands were clenched at her sides.  Yuffie looked again at her father who was resting his head in his hands, shaking it in disappointment.  

            She walked around the room and found the seat farthest away from the man.  She folded her arms in front of her, and refused to look at him again.  She started tapping her foot in aggravation.  

            Godo introduced them, "Uh… Yuffie, this is Reno.  He is the gentleman I told you about earlier."  

"How do you do, Yuffie?"  Reno inquired with a smirk on his face.  Yuffie got the idea that he could sense her dislike of him.  Without looking at him she nodded in recognition.  "I hear you've got quite the skill with a shuriken.  Never miss a bulls eye with a ninja star."  How did _he know so much about __her?  Oh well, she thought.  Her father must have babbled on about such useless information, while they had waited for her.  _

            She turned and looked at him.  "I _am _a ninja ya know.  I come from a long lineage of great ninjas.  I am gonna be as good, if not better than my mother was before me.  But what would you care?  You don't seem the type to notice talent until it hits you square between the eyes, which can be arranged."  She said with an attitude, lifting a hand to her hip, and leaning forward in her seat.  She heard her father clear his throat loudly.  She relaxed her stance, and sat back in her seat, waiting for the reprimand she was sure to receive.  

            It didn't come, instead she heard laughing.  She looked over at Reno and saw him laughing loudly, holding his drink up so he didn't spill it.  He stopped long enough to say, "Phew!  Quite the fiery one, aren't ya?" And he continued laughing.

            Godo apologized to his guest, but Reno dismissed it saying, "There is no problem I assure you."  He switched his attention back to Yuffie and said, "I would love to see you put that much spirit in a fight, see your skill in action.  Until then, how about we discuss matters civilly?"  He flashed a small smile at her, and flicked the ashes of his cigarette into an ashtray.  

            She was annoyed, that was no doubt, but decided to go with what he said.  Besides, she thought, the quicker they got this over with, the quicker she could get out of her dress.  She nodded her approval to get on with the matters at hand, and tried to regain her composure.  

            Godo took this opportunity and quickly started discussing the reason Reno was even in Wutai.  "Well it is a honor to have our newest challenger in Wutai.  Did you have any questions you needed to ask me before accepting the challenge of the Pagoda?"  

            Reno, leaned forward in his seat, and set his drink down.  "About that," he replied, "I'm afraid there has been a miscommunication."  


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Confused, both Yuffie and Godo said at the same time, "A miscommunication?"  Godo continued with, "About what?" And he too set his drink down.  

            Reno leaned back against the sofa, raising his hands and resting them on the back of his head.  "Yeah, well you see, I never mentioned that _I was actually here for the Pagoda of Trials.  I had instead inquired if you knew how long it had been since someone had actually succeeded in the trials.  You see, my boss Tseng sent me here to find someone.  A group of people actually, they are very powerful, and may have come here to obtain the secrets of the temple.  Unfortunately, I found out I'm the first person to come asking about the Trials for some time now.  So my new instructions from my boss are to stay here.  Our "little friends" we're trying to find may still show up.  I've been given strict orders to set up a perimeter around the city using my associates, and I'm afraid we will be stationed here for quite a while."  Reno reached for his glass, while taking drag off his cigarette.  He sipped his drink, and looked around, not noticing the look on Godo's face.  _

            Yuffie looked to her father for a response.  Her eyes widened when she saw how red he had become.  He was obviously angry about something, what she didn't know.  She was soon to find out.

            "YOU!" Godo yelled.  "How dare you even set foot on my property!  Get out!" Godo stiffly pointed a finger in the direction of the closest exit.  His face showed his anger, his stance showed his control, but his voice showed his power.  

            Reno remained in his seat, and took another puff from his cigarette.  Picking up his drink he asked, "Now Godo, really is this display necessary?"

            "I now realize who you are, and you are not welcome in my home!!  GET OUT!"  Godo raised his finger again to the door and was visibly breathing harder.  

            What was all this about? Why was her father getting so angry?  Yuffie scrambled over to her father's side and tugged on his arm. "Hey Pops, you mind letting me in on this?" 

            Godo did not remove his eyes from Reno, and finding the breath to speak he answered, "This 'guest' is nothing but an agent from ShinRa!  His boss, Tseng, and I go way back.  They are the president's lackeys, and the worst kind, the kind that does all his dirty work.  He and his associates are none other than the despicable group known as the Turks!"  Godo scowled at Reno.  

            ShinRa!!  Turks!! "What!?"  Yuffie knew her father hated ShinRa and anything associated with it.  Yuffie looked at Reno.  He was still sitting calmly, showing no fear of what Godo could do to him.  This simple lack of respect raised anger inside Yuffie.  Anger so powerful, she had never felt it before, and she desperately wanted to release it.  Even the little twists of smoke that curled from Reno's cigarette were making her angry.  She could hold back no longer, and before she even realized what she was doing, she was jumping towards him, her fists ready to make contact with flesh.  Reno's eyes enlarged, surprised by her rash attempt.  As quick as she had leaped, he was pulling something out of his jacket.  She didn't hear what he shouted, but the next second she was being hurled backwards, and knocked down.  She found herself lying on the floor in the middle of the room.  Yuffie tried to lift her head, wincing with pain.  She managed to sit up, her head was pounding, and her skin felt slightly raw.  She brought her hands to her eyes, trying to refocus them.  She was confused about what had happened. What did he use on her? 

            Reno started to laugh, the sound a hammer in her ears.  "You are foolish.  Just like I expected." Reno tossed her a handkerchief and said, "Here.  Wipe yourself off, you're all dirty with soot." 

Reno turned to Godo.  "And you, you're making a big mistake.  Acting in this way will not got either of us what we want.  I simply came here to tell you how things were going to be, if you don't like them, I'd like to see you try to change it.  If any of your attempts to thwart us are as pathetic as your daughter's, then you'll have to do better than that!"  A cocky grin stretched across his menacing face.  Yuffie saw him put a green orb back inside his jacket.  Materia!  He had used materia on her!  That Jerk!   

Yuffie picked herself up, leaving the handkerchief where it fell.  She brushed herself off, and looking at the damage, she noticed that her temple dress had been scorched around all the edges, and there was one big burnt circle around her torso.  He had ruined her dress!!  Now he had gone too far!  She may not have liked her dress, but it was the only one she had!  That bastard!

Yuffie could feel the rage boil up again inside her.  She took a step towards Reno making a horse stance, she was preparing to attack once more and this time she knew what to expect.  She very calmly moved a piece of hair out of her eyes and tucked it behind her ear.  She took in a small breath and closed her eyes while she exhaled, letting all her fear go with the escaping air.  Then with a small jolt she kicked up her leg and aimed for Reno, this time only to fall back once more, but not by Reno.  She grunted as she fell to the floor, almost knocking over a side table.  

"Get out of here Yuffie! Now!" Godo yelled to her.  He had pushed her down.  Yuffie shot a glance at Reno and suddenly realized why her father had prevented her attack.  Reno had secretly equipped himself with a small dagger, so small in fact, that if he had actually succeeded in piercing her, she would have never known it, until it was too late.  

Yuffie quickly picked herself up, and headed for the door.  She wasn't going to allow this creep to get the better of her!  She had a plan.  Yuffie ran back down the hallway towards her bedroom, practically ripping her dress off as she went.  She needed to change, and quick.

Once in her bedroom she rapidly got into an outfit that allowed more movement.  She took her freshly polished 4 Point Shuriken off her wall, and looked around the room for anything else she might need.  That's when she noticed a small glint of red light on her dresser.  Of course!  The materia!  Maybe she'd be trying out that new materia a little sooner than she thought.   Yuffie allowed a bloodthirsty grin to spread across her face.  Reno was going to pay for his actions!  Even if her father wouldn't allow it, she knew deep down that she could not allow Reno to get away without experiencing the wrath of Yuffie!    She chuckled menacingly to herself, and stuffed the two new materia into her pocket.

Ooooh! I do hope everyone likes my story so far!  I'm working on Chap Six right now!  What do you think will happen?  Will Yuffie get the chance to use her materia?  Will Reno get the smackdown from Yuffie that she thinks he so deserves?   Hopefully next chapter will tell!!!    Plz R&R … but be nice…   this is my first fic… I need constructive criticism if you really want to help me, be gentle, but get your point across.  Thx!     ^-^


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